At the beginning of the war there had been an ill-defined policy, or rather an absence of all policy, in relation to the most important of pending questions.

The winter preceding the outbreak of the rebellion had been so assiduously devoted by Congress to efforts of compromise and conciliation, that it was difficult to turn the public mind promptly to the other side, and to induce the people to accept the logical consequences of the war.

There was no uniform policy among our generals.

Each commander was treating the question very much according to his own personal predilection, and that was generally found to be in accordance with his previous political relations.

The most conspicuous exception to this rule was General Benjamin F.Butler, who had been identified with the extreme pro- slavery wing of the Democratic party.